Mobile Internet

[hpomboSB]

Hello,

     Just had some general questions about the Ericsson W35 Rocket Hub.  Thank you to all who answer.

1)  I'm assuming this product accesses and obtains an internet signal through a SIM card, correct?

2)  I own a small business (hoping to expand very soon) so I need fast and reliable internet throughout normal business hours (9-5), my business depends on this.  I have read that some people get weak signals, resulting in low data transfer rates.  I am located in the heart of down town Toronto, ONT. is this bound to be my fate due to downtown signal interferance?

3)  I need to make sure that this unit does not connect to my networks backbone due to security issues.  Is there a way to guarantee this product cannot be used to connect to my networks backbone in any shape or form?

4) I am in charge of handling peoples finances (security is of the outmost importance) and my users will be connecting to this product randomly throughout the business day, would you recommend this unit for a large business?

5) Would you consider this a very secure and reliable product?

6)  Would you consider the data rate plans fair and enough data for a large business?

7)  I see that in downtown toronto Rogers Coverage is LTE, is this currently the fastest connection out there?

That's all for now, thanks again.

[skinorth]

@hpomboSB:

Hello to you too.

1. Yes.

2. Rogers cellular Internet using the RocketHub is neither reliably fast nor reliably reliable.  I have used their service for nearly two years, and have participated in this Forum for nearly as long.  The problem seems not to be weak signal strength, but competition from all the other users who need access to the particular cell to which you are connecting.  Plain and simply put, Internet/data connections get dropped in favour of voice connections when the cell gets busy.  So interference is not the issue.  But competition for resources on the Rogers network is.

3. There are a number of ways to ensure that the W35 does not connect to your backbone network.  But any discussion of this is way beyond anything I can contribute here, as it depends entirely on how you LAN is configured, and how the PC's/Mac's are used in your local environment.  So, yes it can be done, but how is entirely under your control.

4. I am a SOHO user of this device.  I would never recommend this device for a large business.  This would be for both security and reliability issues.

5. The product is intended for the home user.  It performs to specification for that purpose.  Home use requires neither the ultimate in security, nor great reliabilty.  However, your greatest security issues will likely result from whatever your users access, download and run on their machines.  Hence, the W35 would likely be merely the vehicle through which a breach would take place.  The W35 would not in and of itself be the cause of the security breach.

6. The Rogers cellular data rate plans are archetypically rapacious in their costs.  The use of, for example, DSL or cable Internet access would be far more cost-effective.

7. The W35 does not, as far as I know, support LTE.  In addition, given all of the incredible marketing hype, as well as the overblown specifications that are thrown around by the major Internet access providers, I would not believe any of it.  "Caveat emptor" is understated advice when dealing with Canadian carriers, and Rogers in particular.  There may be LTE-based data devices coming available, but I have no experience with them.

 I know that my reply seems simply drenched in cynicism.  But that is what dealing with, and observing the cellular Internet access environment naturally engenders.

skinorth